The idea for Shade Clothing came to Chelsea Rippy of American Fork, UT, after one of many frustrating shopping trips. As had happened so many times before, she spent hours scouring clothing racks looking for items that were stylish without being too revealing. Fed up with her unsuccessful attempts to find hip, modest clothing, Chelsea decided to take matters into her own hands. She spent one year designing and developing a line of stylish, essential undershirts with the goal of giving women exactly what they need to dress modestly, comfortably and fashionably. In September 2004, when she felt like her shirts were “just right,” Chelsea founded Shade Clothing, a company with a simple mission: make clothes that help women feel comfortable and happy. Throughout the process of designing and perfecting the shirts, Char Garn, a friend and neighbor, was Chelsea's most enthusiastic “sounding board” and confidante, trying on each style as they evolved and giving valuable feedback. From day one, she shared Chelsea 's passion for the idea of bringing hip, modest clothing to women's wardrobes. When Shade Clothing opened for business it quickly became apparent that Chelsea needed a partner to help manage the overwhelming task of running her own business. Char was the perfect person for the job. The two officially became business partners in the fall of 2004 and today they work together, playing off each other's strengths, to design and distribute Shade shirts to women all over the United States.
Chelsea and Char both graduated from Brigham Young University with health-related degrees. Both are married and have two young children.
